As a result of the perceived needs of the consumer, it is considered that the opportunities so offered by digital technology will result in a convergence of product features and capabilities. Such a convergence is already evident today in the provision of add-on and even integrated cellular telephony capabilities to the so-call personal data assistant (PDA) product category. Such convergence will undoubtedly bring advantages to the consumer in that she will no longer need to transport a range of devices with her.
However, from the perspective of the manufacturer and/or service provider, the convergence of products brings particular challenges. In the case of the manufacturer, such challenges include the need to integrate the functionality of what previously were devices having different operating systems, power requirements and such like, and typically all within a smaller, more compact form factor. For the service provider, the challenge is to provide existing and new services in a form which complements the synergies brought to the user by the convergence of functionality in the product.